Community Question: What If GMC Made A Sedan?

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There’s a possibility that this may rub some (or even many) the wrong way, but we’ll ask it anyway: what if GMC made a car that’s not a truck, SUV, or crossover… such as a sedan or even a coupe?

After speaking with a non-GM industry executive about the state of automotive affairs (and much other insignificant items) we started thinking if there’s anything limiting the GMC brand in the types of vehicles it offers. Sure, trucks and SUVs are where it’s been traditionally while presenting itself as Professional Grade; recently, GM’s Big Red expanded into crossovers with the Acadia and Terrain and almost got into MPVs/hatches with the Granite. In fact, GMC’s “traditionally truck-like image” is what resulted in the red-lighting of the Granite in the first place.

So, what about GMC coupes and sedans? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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23 Comments

Do you realize the pandora’s box you’re opening up here?
There are people quite fond of a certain red hued triangular symbol that are pretty vocal. They might invade this post. 😉
Would GM modify the tag line for the sedan to read “We are performance grade.” ?

In all seriousness, I think GM would be treading into choppy waters by doing this.
Offering a sedan would seem to distort the focus of the GMC brand, and it will be a delicate affair to offer something that doesn’t tread on Buick or Chevrolet. Also, would the car be FWD? If so, does a FWD really fit in GMC world? If it’s RWD, what would it do that couldn’t be done as a Buick or Chevy? I doubt they would offer affordable performance – that’s Chevy now. Soft Luxury is Buicks bag. So what’s left? Rugged Luxury? Professional Family Grade?
And most importantly, where/who is the market for a GMC sedan?

Thanks for the correction. I don’t know why I didn’t realize those were FWD. duh!

But, that does emphasize more similarity than difference between GMC and the other brands. I still haven’t heard specifics on what GMC could offer in a sedan that couldn’t be offered by Chevy or Buick. Babersher below mentioned an AWD police cruiser, but what about civilian uses? (other than being handcuffed in the back seat)

Short answer…NO friggin’ way!!! GMC making any form of a car, coupe or sedan, would be a hateful slap in the face of all Pontiac, Olds & Saturn enthusiasts. I’d darn sure rather see a new Bonneville, G9/10, Cutlass or anything besides a GMC car.

Granted GMC has been around nearly as long as Chevy, but think a moment if you will…Terrain=Equinox, Acadia=Traverse (even with the “refresh”), Sierra=Silverado…I have two uncles that retired from GM Truck & Coach in Pontiac, MI. GMC was the best brand for the Kodiak, the Brigadier, the transit bus, and the other medium to heavy duty truck applications. Now that GM is no longer making those types of vehicles (at least not here in the U.S. anyway), GMC seriously needs to go bye-bye.

Offering virtually identical vehicles with slightly different grilles, looks or a select few parts is nothing but a waste of money, much of which got the “Old GM” in trouble in the first place.

As I’ve stated in previous posts, GM should seriously re-design the wya it thinks and does business. Instead of Chevy, Buick, Cadillac, GMC, etc., imagine this if you will:

The current Buick & Cadillac dealers would become GM Luxry (the CTS-V could be performance luxury).

Chevy dealers could become GM Family, GM Eco, and GM Truck dealers, and the GM Nostalgia division can be its own, “boutique-style” dealership.

GM then makes a nation-wide or even global marketing campaign that it is becoming the world’s FIRST No-Haggle Manufacturer. That when you go to a GM dealer (any division), that the window sticker is the lowest price of the vehicle, (except for GM employees/retirees). No more rebates, no more dealers trying to cut each other’s throats, just honest, bottom-line prices, clearly marked in the window.

Continue improving quality across the board. Boost the bumper-bumper warranty to 5 years/100/000 miles, and the powertrain warranty to 10 years/100,000 miles. Borrow some elements from the Saturn experience, that includes a guest’s vehicle get washed with any service or body work, other than LOF & Tires.

By consolidating models and eliminating overlap-the cost for slightly different parts will be eliminated. There will be no “cross-shopping” of it’s own brands, improved customer service bringing more repeat customers as well as new people to the GM brands. The cost savings would be tremendous, which would make the stockholders happy and the improved warranties would get and retain customers, and everyone knows it’s easier to keep a happy customer than trying to win back an unhappy one.

By doing this suggested restructuring, even with the better warranties, (which shouldn’t be an issue with improved quality), the company would make & save millions or even billions of dollars, have a better reputation, and sell more vehicles.

Hmmm, happy customers, new customers, cost-savings, better public image…and the vehicles people want and love to drive, replacing and creating jobs here in the US and Michigan especially…oh wait…making billions…darn, GM may actually help the country rebuild the auto industry.

Sorry I got sidetracked…NO GMC CARS, Period!!! Better off no GMC. just think of the possibilities.

Does GMC need a sedan? Sure, just like someone needs hair growing inside their mouths.

While we’re at it, GMC needs a sport coupe and covertible, essentually a GMC Camaro…….and it needs it’s own bespoke platform and engine, with not one part shared with any other brand…..and it needs to MSRP at less than $25K.

No. Pontiac is gone, but GMC cars would cannabilize other GM brands because they would probably just be rebadged Chevys. Ford killed Mercury, and isn’t that what GM would be making if GMC had a broader lineup? Besides, the GMC logo just wouldnt look or feel right on a sedan or coupe.

No sedans coupes only. Make the coupe version a GMC. A coupe sales well always be lower than a sedan. And the price of a GMC well always be higher Than a CHEVY. Make the first one a volt coupe and call it GMC JOULE.

No way. IMHO GMC is redundant as is. Take a Chevy, change the grille and the interior, spend precious marketing money calling it “Professional Grade” and sell it close to the same price. Besides I thought we already had a GMC sedan, called a Buick.

Barbersher, In 2011 GM sold about 2.5 million cars in the US and spent $2.6 billion on advertising alone, or over $1,000 per vehicle, including fleet. Break that to retail and the amount per car is much higher. And then there are the channel costs. How can you call what is well over $1,000 per car “tiny” ?

The average cost of every car sold is about 30k in the US, I have no hard data or sources but I would guess, and im sure you would agree that about the average cost of a car to the company is 20-25k. So if you say that advertising is about 1k per car, then it amounts to about 3-5% of total cost to GM, which in my opinion, is tiny.

It would mean that GMC would no longer be considered the truck company. It could mean a new marketing tool as GMC the professional grade company. The line up would consist of a group cars geared toward the livery, safety force trades.

The only thing that would remotely work would be the Holden Ute, just don’t call it an El Camino. (Chevy’s got to many models anyway) If GM thought it could be a Pontiac, then a GMC is a perfect fit. It would be cool with a grill like the new Arcadia. It solves all the problems, half truck, half car, no worries mate!

Here’s a thought in addition to my last comment. Make the GMC Commodore a stripped-out, back to basics version. It would appeal to fleet buyers who don’t want anything overly flash and would also lower cost per unit.